The field of the invention is wire frame structures. More particularly, the field of the invention is self-erecting wire frame structures for use in tents, canopies, or other designs using a wire frame for support.
Various wire frame structures have been known and used in, for example, camping tents, and other products. A wire frame structure advantageously has spring characteristics designed to allow it to automatically set up without using poles, wires, stakes, etc. In addition, the wire frame structure is preferably folded or compacted into a small size for storage or transport, yet when released from its compact position, expands and erects, without substantial effort by the user. While various such frames, including tent frames, have been known and used in the past, they can be bulky, difficult to erect, difficult to fold or compact, etc. Accordingly, there remains a need for a self-erecting frame which can be folded to a compact size, and yet easily and automatically set up into a frame for a tent, or the like.